Nairobi and Netherlands based private equity fund, DOB Equity has announced the appointment of Karen Serem Waithaka as its new Chief Executive Officer.
- Karen, who brings over 15 years of experience in the financial services sector, takes the helm at a critical time for the fund, following significant leadership changes and recent challenges within its portfolio companies.
- Prior to joining DOB Equity, she served as Chief Investment Officer at Catalyst Fund, a venture capital firm focused on investing in pre-seed startups.
- Karen has a Master’s Degree in finance from the University of New South Wales and a BSc in Actuarial Science from Curtin University of Technology.
“The Fund’s vision of investing in sustainable, bold and impactful ventures that support communities facing climate adversities on our continent aligns with my lived personal and professional experience,” Karen Serem Waithaka says.
Karen succeeds Co-CEOs Saskia van der Mast and Hayo Afman, who recently stepped down after serving 19 and 9 years, respectively.
Karen’s appointment comes at a time when DOB Equity is navigating challenges in its portfolio, including substantial losses from investments in local startups. The fund, which prides itself on supporting impactful businesses, has seen some of its portfolio companies—such as Sendy and Copia shutdown while others like Twiga Foods are struggling.
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